She Wore a Dress With Cherries On It
by RosePhoenix
Summary: It was 8:05 in the morning on June 1, and Willow was just setting down to breakfast when there was a knock on her door. It was Buffy. For the rest of her life Willow would remember the exact time and that Buffy wore a dress with cherries on it. ba,wo
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I claim all rights to characters of my own creation.

A/N AU after Buffy sent Angel to hell. She didn't leave right away. Also in my story the whole thing with Angelus only took three months to come to a head. You'll see why soon. I humbly request you give this story the benefit of the doubt for at least the first few chapters.

Willow Rosenburg considered herself a peaceful person, or at least a person that was usually frightened of confrontation, but if Xander made one more comment about how things had worked out for the best, she swore she was going to hit him. Every time he made one of his cracks within Buffy's hearing Willow could see her best friend wilt just a little more.

Giles wasn't helping either. Willow knew he was still grieving for Jenny, but for close to a month he hadn't looked Buffy directly in the eye. He never really talked to them much anymore either. Oh, there was research, and he was still training Buffy, but it wasn't the same. He often came to school with blood shot eyes, and just last week she'd called him around eleven to ask a question about the demon of the week and he'd been drunk. Willow had heard Xander's dad intoxicated enough to know what somebody sounded like when they were three sheets to the wind. Giles was hiding something. She was almost sure of it.

So was Buffy for that matter. Willow couldn't count the nights she'd held Buffy as the girl cried herself to sleep, and she couldn't count the times Buffy had refused to answer her questions. She'd been pushing harder lately despite the increased risk of getting pummeled. Buffy had refused to go home after her battle with Angelus. Apparently she was staying in an apartment downtown, or at least what passed for downtown in Sunnydale. She wasn't talking to her mother, but the woman was paying the rent because she didn't want Buffy on the streets, and she was afraid if she pushed Buffy would leave altogether. Not to mention, last week, Buffy had asked her several questions about reasons for missing your period and what caused miscarriage. Buffy told Willow it was for a class project, but Willow knew every class Buffy had, and none of them were health.

It was 8:05 in the morning on June 1, and Willow was just setting down to breakfast when there was a knock on her door. It was Buffy. For the rest of her life Willow would remember the exact time and that Buffy she wore a dress with cherries on it. A white summer dress with red cherries on it.

"I'm pregnant," Buffy said without preamble. For perhaps the first time in her life Willow was left absolutely speechless. When Buffy turned to walk away Willow still couldn't get her vocal chords to function, but she did reach out and grab the oddly docile slayer who allowed herself to be dragged into the living room.

"When, how... Well I mean I know how..." Willow began to ramble as her voice returned.

"I'm gonna leave Willow," Buffy said studying a stain in the carpet.

"Leave? Why? You can't leave."

"I can't stay. I can't let my mom keep paying my rent. She can't afford it. Besides she doesn't want me here. She'll probably disown me when she finds out about the b... about this."

"Your mom loves you. Every day she calls me to make sure your okay because you won't talk to her. Why won't you just go home?"

"I told you I can't."

"Why?"

"Don't push me Will."

"Buffy," Willow sighed, "You just told me your pregnant. The time for secrets? Kinda past."

"She told me if I walked out never to come back. Happy now?" Buffy snapped standing up to pace the room like a caged animal.

"Oh, Buffy," Willow said standing as well, "I'm sure she didn't mean it. I mean she couldn't of right?"

"She thinks I'm some kind of freak. Maybe I am."

"None of that missy," Willow shook her head, "Your the slayer, your Buffy, your my best friend, your beautiful, and smart, and strong."

"Thanks, but you have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't make me use the resolve face," Willow replied attempting to joke but failing miserably.

"What am I gonna do, Willow?" Buffy asked collapsing back onto the couch.

"First, your going to tell me exactly what's going on because you lost me at I'm pregnant. My brain kind of went mushy after that."

"You think I know?"

"Okay we'll start off easy. Who's the father?"

"That's not easy, Will. That's the complicated part."

"It's okay, I understand that you were hurting. You were vulnerable. Witness the lack of judging. I'm non judgy girl."

"Seriously on the wrong track, non judgy girl. Although I appreciate that. You're the only person who'll look me in the eyes these days."

"He's just grieving. It's not about you."

"Whatever."

"So, who's the father? It's not Xander is it?"

"Oh God no!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Come on who is it?" the red-head demanded, "You're killing me here. Okay not literally killing me, but you get the idea."

"Angel," Buffy whispered so softly Willow barely heard her.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Did you just say Angel? You couldn't of just said Angel. That's impossible. It is impossible isn't it? Of course it's impossible, but you just said Angel. It is Xander isn't it? It's Xander and you're to ashamed to admit it."

"Stop!" Buffy said cutting through Willow's rant, "It's not Xander! It's Angel, and I know it's impossible, but he's the only person I've ever slept with. Ever."

"And you're sure you're pregnant?"

"I'm sure," Buffy sighed suddenly sounding defeated, "I went to the clinic in Sunnydale, and two in L.A. I kept telling myself it couldn't be true, but I'm starting to show, Will."

"What about all those fights with Angelus? There's no way a fetus could survive that."

At this point Buffy burst into tears. At first Willow was completely caught off guard, but after a moment she slowly sat down next to her friend on the couch, and put her arms around her.

"I..I think.. the... it's protected somehow," Buffy sobbed, "I tried... they gave me drugs, and they didn't work... and...and.

"Whoa, drugs? What happened Buffy? What did you do?"

"I have to go," Buffy sprang up suddenly. She was out in the driveway before Willow caught up with her.

"Buffy, I said I wouldn't judge. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. Just come back inside. I'll make waffles, and we'll sit down with waffles and hot cocoa, and we'll talk about it. Please?"

"I tried to have an abortion, Willow," Buffy hissed, "I tried to take an innocent life. I should be shot."

"Just come inside," Willow pleaded, "Just come inside."

"You don't hate me?" Buffy looked like a lost little girl again. Willow's head was spinning trying to keep up with the mood swings, but hell she'd probably be having them to if she was pregnant with a dead man's child.

"I could never hate you. Now, come inside before somebody sees me."

Buffy looked at what Willow was dressed in for the first time. Blue silk shorts, and a camisole top with lace, and no shoes was what Willow was standing in her front lawn in broad daylight wearing.

"I always thought of you as more the flannel type," Buffy said with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh shut it," Willow scowled leading them back into the house. Her choice of undergarments wasn't really the highest on her list of important things at the moment. Buffy being pregnant with a vampire's child was just about took up items one through 1,999. What with it being totally impossible and all.


	2. Icecream and Bar Fights

Disclaimer: see chapter one

A/N Thank-you for all the reviews. I've never gotten that many for one chapter. Also, the chapters should start getting longer soon.

"So why are you wearing that?" Buffy asked when they were settled at Willow's kitchen table with the hot cocoa.

Willow considered reminding her that the question was just a tad off subject, but something told her not to.

"It's well, um, um," Willow struggled to explain.

"You're blushing," Buffy accused.

"Oz was here okay!"

"You two aren't? Are you?"

"Oh, no,no, no,no,no. It's just that when my parents are out of town he stops by sometimes after a gig. I wanted to look pretty."

"I don't know if pretty is the word," Buffy smirked.

"You don't like it?" Willow questioned crestfallen.

"It's fine, Will."

"Really?"

"Really," Buffy nodded.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Oh, my gosh," Willow jumped up, "stall him. I have to go change."

"Stall who?" Buffy asked but Willow was already up the stairs.

It turned out to be Oz who as at the door. Buffy just shook her head. Only Willow would be too shy to let her boyfriend see in daylight what he'd seen her in the night before.

"Hey," Oz nodded in his usual noncommittal fashion.

"Hey," Buffy replied, "Did you and Willow have plans or something?"

"We're going to the beach," Willow said coming around the corner in long shorts and a t-shirt.

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, "I didn't realize you guys had a date. I'll see you on Monday."

"Come with us," Willow replied, "I mean I don't know I'm kinda of thinking you haven't had much fun lately."

"It's cool. You and Oz have a good time."

"Naw, you should come with," Oz said when Willow gave him a "help me out" look from behind the blond's back.

"Are you sure?"

"Very," Willow said taking the slayer by the arm, "Now come on. Oz promised to buy me ice-cream."

It was close to mid-night when Buffy fell into bed. After a few hours at the beach she'd had to leave for work. It was only a part time job, but Buffy was determined to make enough money to pay her own rent, to buy her own groceries. Ugh! She hated that restaurant smell that always seemed to follow her home.

As she did every night she let her eyes wander over her apartment, his apartment, she still couldn't keep it straight in her head. For some reason after the battle with Angelus, after she'd sent _Angel_ to hell, she'd run here. To the last place she'd really been happy. The sheets on the bed hadn't even been changed. She'd torn them off and fell to the bed sobbing uncontrollably. In the morning the landlord had knocked on the door and informed her the pre-payments on the rent ran out at the end of the month. He hadn't seemed to noticed she wasn't the apartment's rightful inhabitant, or that she'd obviously been crying just moments before.

Just as she was falling asleep the phone rang. She considered not answering, but it refused to stop.

"What?" she grumbled putting the receiver to her ear.

"Giles is in jail," a feminine voice answered, panicked, "Giles is in jail!"

"What? Willow?" Buffy questioned, but it was Oz who replied.

"Can we come over?" he asked sounding much calmer than his girlfriend.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"We'll explain when we get there," he said and the phone went dead.

Buffy spent the next fifteen minutes dusting dustless surfaces and resisting the urge to start rearranging furniture. She hated waiting, hated not being able to do something.

"What happened!" she demanded the minute Willow and Oz were inside the apartment, "Why does Willow have a shiner!"

"Giles hit her," Oz informed her, and Buffy swore she could feel the anger simmering under the surface of his monotone voice.

"He hit Willow?" Buffy was horrified.

"He didn't mean to," Willow mumbled.

"Ice," Buffy said suddenly and dashed to the freezer, "You need to put ice on that." Taking one of her well worn ice-packs out, she wrapped it in paper towels, and handed it to the red-head.

"He didn't mean to," Willow repeated, "He didn't even know we were there."

"Know you were where?"

"Oz was playing with this band at this bar, and they kind of told the owner I was with them so I could get in. I didn't even know Giles was there until the fight started. I got in the way when I tried to help. The bouncer pushed me into the middle of it by accident, and I got in the way."

"Gile was in a **bar**-fight?"

"He was really scary," Willow nodded, "and I think he was drunk. Then the cops came."

"I talked to a buddy of mine," Oz added, "He's going to spot me the money when they assign bail."

"This is all a joke right?" Buffy asked, "Tell me this is a joke, or a dream. It's a dream right?"

"Dreams aren't supposed to hurt," Willow winced as she pulled the ice away from her eye.

"I'm gonna take Willow home," Oz said, "We'll call you in the morning."

Buffy fell into bed wondering what in the hell her Watcher was thinking. Or not thinking for that matter.


	3. Ms Wood

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

A/N Sorry the chapters have been so short. This one's only slightly longer, but I wanted to get something out before you all forgot about me. Thank-you for all the reviews. I'm starting to get really nervous about living up to all your expectations. lol. Oh, and there's a quote from a Sarah Mclachan song in here somewhere. Kudos to those who find it.

It was Monday morning and Buffy was back at school. So was Willow who had managed to cover most of her bruise with makeup. Giles, however, wasn't there. Neither was Oz because he'd gone to bail the older man out. Xander was under the impression that Willow had tripped down her steps, and Cordelia was rolling her eyes every time Xander made a joke about attacking stairs.

None of them expected what they found when they went to the library during lunch under Willow's insistence. Buffy indicated that they should be quiet as they approached the doors. Through the glass they could see Giles had none other than principle Snyder up against a filing cabinet.

"You want to fire me you little weasel?" Giles was saying, "Then fire me."

"What's going on?" a voice asked from behind the group of teenagers. Willow spun around, hand over here heart.

"Oz," Willow breathed, "What're you doing here?"

"I go to school here?"

"Right."

"Shh!" Cordelia demanded.

Snyder was sputtering his indignation while trying to peel Giles' hands off him. They latter didn't appear to be happening. So, Buffy pushed open the door to demand answers. Not that it didn't give her a inordinate amount of pleasure to see her principal almost ready to pee his pants as Giles hoisted him farther up against the aforementioned cabinet. Buffy never got her answers because, as soon as Giles saw them, he released the smaller man and swept from the library.

Snyder glared at the teenagers and began to straighten his tie.

"What are you doing here?" he said, "Get to class."

"We're at lunch," Willow spoke up hesitantly, but Snyder didn't seem to notice. He was looking at something over their shoulders.

"May I help you?" he asked his usual condescending demeanor returned.

"I'm Ms. Wood," the person he was looking at replied. Turning around the scoobies saw that Ms. Wood was a tall, willowy, woman in her mid-twenties with light brown skin, black hair pulled back in a bun, and wide, innocent, brown eyes. Buffy mentally catalogued the thought she wouldn't last a week.

"You applied for the Language Arts position?"

"Yes,"

"Well, that spots been taken, but a new one just opened up. Congratulations Ms. Wood you're our new librarian. You start now. Don't screw it up, and watch out for Summers; she's a trouble maker."

"Okay..." the woman frowned as Snyder stalked down the hall.

"He can't fire Giles," Buffy objected.

"He kinda just did Buff," Xander replied.

"I should hex him," Willow muttered. Everybody turned to give her a strange look.

"What?"

"Um," Ms. Wood interrupted, "is this the library?"

"No, it's the cafeteria," Cordelia snarked.

"I'm sorry," the woman replied not sounding sorry at all, "You must be the school bitch. It's very nice to meet you." With these words the young woman pushed open the door and disappeared into the library.

"She can't do that," the cheerleader sputtered, "Teachers aren't allowed to talk to students like that. I could so totally get her fired."

"But it's true," Xander replied. Then winced as he realized he'd spoken aloud.

While Cordelia began to rant Buffy and Willow went after their new librarian. Buffy just plain wanting to vent her outrage, and Willow thinking of all the books concerning the paranormal that were stashed in the locking cage and in Giles' office and underneath the front desk. All of those rare, old, nightmare inducing books.

To Willow's horror Ms. Wood had indeed found one and was examining the binding, but instead of being alarmed, or even vaguely surprised, she had an oddly thoughtful look. Her head snapped up as the doors swung shut.

"Hello, Buffy, Willow," the woman nodded, "You know you really shouldn't leave 17th century manuscripts lying around. Even if they are in mint condition."

"How do you know my name?" Buffy asked.

"How do you know that's 17th century?" Willow questioned at the same time.

"Easy," she replied choosing to answer Willow's question, "It was my Christmas gift to Uncle Rupert last year. Had a hell of a time getting it. Borlog demons are extremely possessive."

"_Uncle_ Rupert?" Buffy looked skeptical, "Giles' never said anything about any family."

"I'm not surprised," she nodded, "Mother asked him not to."

"Okay, I'm seriously loosing patience," Buffy said taking a deep breath, "So would you please explain why you're here, and how you know who we are!"

"Uncle Rupert of course. Just because he doesn't talk about us doesn't mean he doesn't talk to us. As for the reason I'm here? The Council has decided the hellmouth could use some reinforcements. It's best to keep these things in the family."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Buffy demanded.

With a sigh of resignation the young librarian realized she would find nothing but resistance from the blond slayer. As a rule Giles tended to be typically reserved, but she'd always been particularly close to her favorite (and only) uncle, and he'd told her about the girl's stubbornness with more than a little pride seeping into his voice. So, she turned the shy red head in hopes of some help.

"What about you?" she asked, "Do you think I'm lying?"

"I don't know," Willow said with much more confidence than she felt, "But I'm willing to find out. If you're really Giles' niece meet us at his apartment this afternoon."

"Uncle Rupert told me you were smart."

"He did?" Willow asked unable to keep a little bit of a blush from seeping into her cheeks.

"Several times," Ms. Wood smiled as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, "Now, get to class. I'll see you this afternoon."

It was four o'clock and Willow, Xander, and Oz were sitting on the steps leading to Giles' apartment. Buffy was pacing around the courtyard.

"I told you she was lying," Buffy fumed.

"Chill, Buff," Xander replied, "Maybe she got lost. Give her some time."

"You, being patient?" Willow asked skeptically, "You think she's hot don't you?"

"I have eyes," Xander replied defensively.

"What about you?" she turned to Oz, "Do you think she's hot?"

"I prefer red heads," he mused, "You wouldn't happen to know one would you?"

Willow just shook her head and leaned over to kiss him. He'd been there for her all these months when everybody else was too wrapped up in their own problems to notice she was at her wits end trying to keep things together. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but the structure of there little group had started to fall apart these last months, and somehow or the other she'd been landed with the the thankless, unnoticed job of being go between, confidant, and all around responsible one. It made her love Oz all the more that he'd let her scream and rage and cry out her anger and fear. Sometimes she pushed just to see how far he'd go, but he never stooped to battle, and he never turned to go.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Giles' mystery niece chose that moment to appear.

"Okay so she knows how to use a phone book," Buffy said putting a hand on her hip, "What does that prove?"

"She's my niece, Buffy," Giles' voice suddenly broke in. He was a few paces behind the young teacher.

"And you planned on telling us about her when?"

"I didn't," he said then sighed at the hurt on the blond's face, "Perhaps we should go inside."


End file.
